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20030516010879A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Scwzer G-164B · Basin, WA · May 16, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 16, 2003 · 12:45 local
Place
Basin, WA
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
MBHG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N3629E
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA03LA086
Reported as
Scwzer G164B
Reported engine
Garrett TPE331*
Fatal injuries
0
N3629ERegistration cancelled May 16, 2023 · Schweizer G-164BS/N 744BAirframe modelSchweizer G-164B

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The pilot had been flying this aircraft since 6:10 am never shutting the engine off for loading. On this run at 12:45, he had begun to spray a new field and had made several runs with 80% fungicide load and 3/4 fuel load on board. He made a turn, repositioned for the next run, came in over a set of wires and at 15 feet the Garrett tpe 331 engine quit and went into autofeather. The pilot lined up on a dirt road but there was a tractor on it who did not see the aircraft and did not move, so the pilot repositioned back to the field. He set up for a landing in 3 feet tall heavy wheat, bled off speed, and settled into the crop. The left wing contacted the crop/ground, but the pilot kept the load and was able to use the aft CG to keep the aircraft upright. One of the feathered propeller blades contacted the ground with one thump motion. There are no scratches on the blades but the one is bent at a 30 degree angle. The airframe is substantially damaged. Engine teardown revealed the torque sensor bearings failed. Sensing no torque, it shut off the fuel and the engine went into autofeather.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT HAD BEEN FLYING THIS AIRCRAFT SINCE 6:10 AM NEVER SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF FOR LOADING. ON THIS RUN AT 12:45, HE HAD BEGUN TO SPRAY A NEW FIELD AND HAD MADE SEVERAL RUNS WITH 80% FUNGICIDE LOAD AND 3/4 FUEL LOAD ON BOARD. HE MADE A TURN, REPOSITIONED FOR THE NEXT RUN, CAME IN OVER A SET OF WIRES AND AT 15 FEET THE GARRETT TPE 331 ENGINE QUIT AND WENT INTO AUTOFEATHER. THE PILOT LINED UP ON A DIRT ROAD BUT THERE WAS A TRACTOR ON IT WHO DID NOT SEE THE AIRCRAFT AND DID NOT MOVE, SO THE PILOT REPOSITIONED BACK TO THE FIELD. HE SET UP FOR A LANDING IN 3 FEET TALL HEAVY WHEAT, BLED OFF SPEED, AND SETTLED INTO THE CROP. THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE CROP/GROUND, BUT THE PILOT KEPT THE LOAD AND WAS ABLE TO USE THE AFT CG TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT UPRIGHT. ONE OF THE FEATHERED PROPELLER BLADES CONTACTED THE GROUND WITH ONE THUMP MOTION. THERE ARE NO SCRATCHES ON THE BLADES BUT THE ONE IS BENT AT A 30 DEGREE ANGLE. THE AIRFRAME IS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. ENGINE TEARDOWN REVEALED THE TORQUE SENSOR BEARINGS FAILED. SENSING NO TORQUE, IT SHUT OFF THE FUEL AND THE ENGINE WENT INTO AUTOFEATHER.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB SEA03LA086Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBasin City, WAThe failure of the torque sensor idler gear duplex bearing during agricultural aerial application, resulting in a total power loss and a forced landing. Factors include tall wheat and soft terrain.May 16, 2003 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N3629E · 3

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20180327007319AStockton, CAOn March 27, 2018 at approximately 1405 PDT N3629E was substantially damaged after colliding with high transmission power lines an subsequent impact with terrain approximately 10 miles southwest of Stockton, California. The pilot was fatally injured. The…Mar 27, 2018 · Destroyed · 1 fatalAccident 20000726008449ATracy, CA(-23) Investigation on-site. Contacted [privacy data omitted], the manager of haley flying service. The aircraft was located in a tomato filed approximately on-quarter mile short of the haley flying service airstrip which is located north of Tracy,…Jul 26, 2000 · No damageAccident 19940508010319AFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Gridley, CALost power spraying. Collided with canal ditch landing. NR8 cylinder had cracked from one spark plug hole to other.May 8, 1994 · Substantial damage